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Oswalt fights mechanics in first Minors start

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Oswalt's scoreless relief 0:55

8/5/12: Roy Oswalt dominates over two shutout innings of relief, holding the Royals hitless while recording four strikeouts

By Thomas Harding
/
MLB.com |

SAN FRANCISCO -- Veteran right-handed pitcher Roy Oswalt had a predictably up-and-down effort Friday night for Double-A Tulsa -- his first start of four or five before the Rockies discuss when to add him to the starting rotation.

Pitching against Midland, Oswalt, a three-time All-Star, went five innings and gave up three runs on four hits, including two home runs, with three strikeouts and three walks. Reports said his fastball hit 94 mph.

"I want to work on my fastball command," he told a reporter after the game. "The biggest thing was my mechanics were off. I felt good in the bullpen, but I tried to create too much once I got out there. The three walks that I gave up bother me more than the home runs because when you can't pitch with your fastball, your other stuff won't be that good."

Oswalt signed with the Rockies on May 3 and before joining Tulsa was at extended spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Bill Geivett, the Rockies' executive vice president of Major League operations, came to a similar conclusion after watching the performance online.

"He wasn't quite as good as the video I saw from extended spring training," Geivett said. "That's the progression of moving from not having any competition to extended spring. His first game wasn't quite as good as the other two."